Two New Jersey residents may have been exposed to a person infected with hantavirus linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, where a rare outbreak has killed three people, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.
Neither resident currently has symptoms, and officials said they are being monitored as a precaution.
“The New Jersey residents were not passengers on the cruise ship, and the potential exposure occurred during air travel abroad,” the health department said in a news release Friday, May 8.
Officials said the overall risk to New Jersey residents remains low because there have been no confirmed cases in New Jersey or elsewhere in the United States.
As of Friday, there also were no confirmed cases of hantavirus in New York and no reports of New Yorkers being monitored for exposure.
Hantavirus outbreak updates
As of Thursday, five people had confirmed hantavirus cases and three others were suspected cases linked to the cruise ship outbreak, according to the World Health Organization. Three people have died.
On Friday, the U.K. Health Security Agency announced a new suspected hantavirus case on Tristan da Cunha, a remote South Atlantic island where the MV Hondius stopped in April.
Tristan da Cunha is often described as the world’s most remote inhabited island, located roughly halfway between South America and Africa. Officials did not release additional details about the suspected case.
At least five U.S. states have reported passengers returning from the MV Hondius, an Atlantic Ocean cruise ship operated by Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions. Officials believe the outbreak may have started after a Dutch couple became infected while participating in wildlife excursions off the ship.
Hantavirus is typically spread through contact with infected rodents, but health officials confirmed the strain linked to this outbreak is the Andes virus, the only known hantavirus strain capable of spreading person to person.
The World Health Organization has repeatedly said the risk to the general public remains low.
What is hantavirus?
According to the New York State Department of Health, hantavirus disease is caused by several strains of viruses commonly carried by rodents around the world.
In North America, hantaviruses can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal lung disease. The virus can also cause a milder illness known as non-pulmonary hantavirus infection.
The CDC says person-to-person transmission is rare but possible with certain strains, including the Andes virus. There is no specific cure or vaccine, but early medical treatment can improve survival rates.
Is hantavirus in New York?
As of Friday afternoon, May 8, there were no confirmed hantavirus cases in New York and no reports of New Yorkers being monitored for exposure.
The New York State Department of Health says most U.S. hantavirus cases have occurred west of the Mississippi River, though isolated cases have been reported in Eastern states, including New York.
The most recent confirmed hantavirus case in New York occurred in Franklin County in 2017, according to the state health department.
The department also provides resources for residents, including information on rodent control and disease prevention.
Contributing: USA Today Network
Madison Scott is a New York Connect reporter covering entertainment, breaking and consumer news, and trending topics across New York state.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NJ residents monitored after possible hantavirus exposure. What to know in NY
Reporting by Madison Scott, New York Connect Team / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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